Tiger Talks

Rusty and ready to test out his surgically repaired ankle, Woods addresses key PGA Tour issues and his plans for 2024.

In another haven’t-we-done-this-before Hero World Challenge press conference, Tiger Woods emerged from a rehabbing summer and held his first press availability since April’s Masters. Looking fit—okay, he’s jacked—clean shaven and clear-eyed, Woods let the guard down just enough to offer insights into the PGA Tour’s policy issues. Mercifully, he offset that tediousness by raising hopes for a decent number of 2024 tournament appearances. Woods also shot down the bizarre speculation that his 14-year-old son Charlie would caddie going forward (TGR EVP Rob McNamara will loop this week).

Joined on the dais by Dr. Pavel Munjal, a Tour media team member and a Hero motorcyle to ward off a left side scrum, Woods made clear he was not enamored with how the secret “events of June 6th” deal had been handled. Predictably, Woods received zero questions about the state of his foundation (which actually engages in substantial things besides sheltering income from taxation) or the possibility of upcoming equipment rule changes. Too golfy!

He did get a TGL question but here at The Quad we don’t do game show golf-without-backup power generators.

The key reveals shared below followed news of Dr. Munjal’s $500,000 purse increase announcement, a move the CEO declared was vital to raising the event’s stature. (Not the easy OWGR points, chance to make sure SBF did not raid the offshore accounts and face time with the new/real Commissioner).

Tiger on his game. “Feels rusty, I haven't played in a while. I had my subtalar fused. I'm excited to compete and play and I'm just as curious as all of you are to see what happens because I haven't done it in a while. I can tell you this, I don't have any of the pain that I had at Augusta or pre that in my ankle.”

On his body. “My knee hurts, my back. The forces go somewhere else. Just like when I had my back fused, the forces have to go somewhere. So it’s up the chain.”

On deciding to play this week after caddying for son Charlie over four days. “Talked to the committee, and a committee of one was able to give me a spot.”

On why the ankle was operated on after the Masters. “I've had a number of [procedures] and at some point in time I was going to have to get my ankle replaced or fused. That timetable was sped up. They weren't expecting me to put as many forces into that ankle as when I hit drivers, and so I think the doctors were surprised by that.”

On hearing about the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund reaching the then-framework agreement in secret and announcing it June 6th. “I would say that my reaction was surprised* as I'm sure a lot of the players were taken back by it, by what happened. So quickly without any input or any information about it, it was just thrown out there. I was very surprised that the process was what it was.”

*Hunch: I don’t think he likes surprises!

On the fallout from the deal which has still not been consummated. “We were very frustrated with what happened and we took steps going forward to ensure that the player involvement was not going -- we were not going to be left out of the process like we were. So part of that process was putting me on the board and accepting that position.”

On the progress of negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. “Also frustrated in some of the slowness and the governance change that we want to have happen. And December 31st is coming up very quickly, so there's the timetable* there that we would like to implement some of these changes that have not taken place.”

*Sounds like a hard deadline in his mind!

On options should December 31st come and go. “We have multiple options, but still, we would like to have a deal done December 31st. That's what the agreement said in the summer and all parties understand that. But there are other options out there.”

On what the professional golf landscape will look like in a year or two years. “The answer is murky. I would have to say there's quite a bit of -- there's a lot of moving parts on how we're going to play. Whether it's here on the PGA Tour or it's merging, or team golf. There's a lot of different aspects that are being thrown out there all at once and we are trying to figure all that out and what is the best solution for all parties and best solution for all the players that are involved.”

On “team golf”. “I think there is away in which we can all benefit from team golf, it's just how do we do it. We're just trying to figure out that process now. We have been, we've been doing it for months, trying to figure out how that all works, what does that landscape even look like and where do we play and what impact does it have on our PGA Tour schedule. I think that's something that we have focused on and we don't take lightly.”

On his potential playing schedule for 2024. “I'm curious to see what 72 holes looks like on the body and my game and then try and set a schedule going forward. I think that best scenario would be maybe a tournament a month. I think that's realistic whether that's -- you would have to start with maybe at Genesis and something in March near The Players*. Again, we have set up right now the biggest events are one per month. It sets itself up for that. Now, I need to get myself ready for all that. I think this week is a big step in that direction.”

*He might play The Players! He might play The Players!

On Rory McIlroy abruptly departing the PGA Tour Board of Directors. “I totally understand why Rory made that decision. We put a lot of effort and time into the Delaware meeting and getting everyone aligned for that. Going from there and the next couple years, just the involvement or the conflict within golf and then his participation at the highest level. He was in contention almost every tournament he played in and he was the spokesman* at the same time. So that was very difficult on him personally and I totally understand it.”

*Unofficially the spokesman and yes, that was a dig at the Commish. Speaking of…